Communication with segment routing in a cable modem network environment

Abstract

A system and method for facilitating communication with segment routing in a cable modem network environment may be provided. A pseudowire (PW) control packet including segment routing information including a PW segment identifier (SID) for establishing a data session between the RPD and a network element over a packet switched network is received at a remote physical device (RPD). The PW SID may be indicative of a segment in the packet switched network to be used for communicating PW data packets of the data session. The PW control packet and the PW data packets being are emulations of a point-to-point connection between the RPD and the network element. A mapping between the PW SID and the data session is written into a segment table of the RPD.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 receiving, at a remote physical device (RPD), a pseudowire (PW) control packet comprising segment routing information including a PW segment identifier (PW SID) for establishing a data session between the RPD and a first network element over a packet switched network, the PW SID indicative of a segment in the packet switched network to be used for communicating PW data packets of the data session, the PW control packet and the PW data packets respectively carrying control information and data, and comprising emulations of a point-to-point connection over the packet switched network between the RPD and the first network element; 
 writing into a segment table of the RPD a mapping between the PW SID and the first data session, wherein the mapping comprises associating a radio frequency parameter and the PW SID; 
 receiving, at the RPD, data from a second network element, wherein the data is associated with the data session between the RPD and the first network element; 
 looking up the segment table for the PW SID using information identifying the data session; 
 generating a PW data packet, comprising a segment routing header having the PW SID; and 
 transmitting the PW data packet over the packet switched network to the first network element. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the another network comprises a hybrid fiber coaxial network for radio frequency signals. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the data session is associated with particular radio frequency parameters for communication between the RPD and the second network element. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, at the RPD, a PW data packet from the first network element, the PW data packet having the PW SID information in a segment routing header of the PW data packet, the PW data packet comprising data destined to a third network element in another network; 
 decapsulating the PW data packet; 
 looking up the segment table using the PW SID for the data session; 
 generating radio frequency signals comprising the data according to radio frequency parameters of the data session; and 
 transmitting the radio frequency signals over the another network to the third network element. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the segment routing information is provided in an attribute value pair (AVP) portion of a header of the PW control packet. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first network element comprises a Converged Cable Access Platform (CCAP) Core of a cable network. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) protocol is used for communication in the packet switched network, wherein the PW SID comprises a destination IPv6 address identifying the segment. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) protocol is used for communication in the packet switched network, wherein the PW SID comprises a MPLS label stack identifying the segment. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the PW control packet comprises a specific combination of a downstream external physical interface (DEPI) header and a Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol Version 3 (L2TPv3) header, wherein the PW SID associates the specific combination with the MPLS label stack. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the segment routing information comprises another PW SID, wherein the another PW SID is associated with a tunnel between the RPD and the first network element, with multiple data sessions per tunnel. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the segment routing information is distributed to the RPD without Interior Gateway Protocols and Border Gateway Protocols. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the segment routing information is distributed to the RPD according to DEPI over L2TPv3. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second network element is a cable modem. 
     
     
       14. Non-transitory tangible computer readable media that includes instructions for execution, which when executed by a processor of a RPD, performs operations comprising:
 receiving, at the RPD, a PW control packet comprising segment routing information including a PW SID for establishing a data session between the RPD and a first network element over a packet switched network, the PW SID indicative of a segment in the packet switched network to be used for communicating PW data packets of the data session, the PW control packet and the PW data packets respectively carrying control information and data, and comprising emulations of a point-to-point connection over the packet switched network between the RPD and the first network element; 
 writing into a segment table of the RPD a mapping between the PW SID and the data session, wherein the mapping comprises associating a radio frequency parameter and the PW SID; 
 receiving, at the RPD, data from a second network element, wherein the data is associated with the data session between the RPD and the first network element, wherein the second network element is a cable modem; 
 looking up the segment table for the PW SID using information identifying the data session; 
 generating a PW data packet, comprising a segment routing header having the PW SID; and 
 transmitting the PW data packet over the packet switched network to the first network element. 
 
     
     
       15. The media of  claim 14 , the operations further comprising:
 receiving, at the RPD, a PW data packet from the network element, the PW data packet having the PW SID information in a segment routing header of the PW data packet, the PW data packet comprising data destined to a third network element in another network; 
 decapsulating the PW data packet; 
 looking up the segment table using the PW SID for the data session; 
 generating radio frequency signals comprising the data according to radio frequency parameters of the data session; and 
 transmitting the radio frequency signals over the another network to the third network element. 
 
     
     
       16. The media of  claim 14 , wherein the first network element comprises a CCAP-Core of a cable network. 
     
     
       17. An apparatus, comprising:
 a memory element for storing data; and 
 a processor, wherein the processor executes instructions associated with the data, wherein the processor and the memory element cooperate, such that the apparatus is configured for:
 receiving, at the apparatus, a PW control packet comprising segment routing information including a PW SID for establishing a data session between the RPD and a first network element over a packet switched network, the PW SID indicative of a segment in the packet switched network to be used for communicating PW data packets of the data session, the PW control packet and the PW data packets respectively carrying control information and data, and comprising emulations of a point-to-point connection over the packet switched network between the RPD and the first network element; 
 writing into a segment table of the apparatus a mapping between the PW SID and the data session, wherein the mapping comprises associating a radio frequency parameter and the PW SID; 
 receiving, at the RPD, data from a second network element, wherein the data is associated with the data session between the RPD and the first network element; 
 looking up the segment table for the PW SID using information identifying the data session; 
 generating a PW data packet, comprising a segment routing header having the PW SID; and 
 transmitting the PW data packet over the packet switched network to the first network element. 
 
 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the apparatus is further configured for:
 receiving, at the apparatus, data from another network element over another network, wherein the data is associated with the data session between the apparatus and the network element; 
 looking up the segment table for the PW SID using information identifying the data session; 
 generating a PW data packet, comprising a segment routing header having the PW SID; and 
 transmitting the PW data packet over the packet switched network to the network element. 
 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the apparatus is further configured for:
 receiving, at the apparatus, a PW data packet from the first network element, the PW data packet having the PW SID information in a segment routing header of the PW data packet, the PW data packet comprising data destined to a third network element in another network; 
 decapsulating the PW data packet; looking up the segment table using the PW SID for the data session; 
 generating radio frequency signals comprising the data according to radio frequency parameters of the data session; and 
 transmitting the radio frequency signals over the another network to the third network element. 
 
     
     
       20. The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the second network element is a cable modem.